Tour organiser arrested for defrauding freelance tour managers

After a search operation, Thakkar, who had been absconding for one and a half months, was arrested. The police added that when they interrogated him he confessed to defrauding the tour managers

MUMBAI: A tour organizer was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding 11 tour managers by promising them work in Europe and Dubai, and then stealing the money taken from them for flights tickets and other expenses.

A tour organizer was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly defrauding 11 tour managers by promising them work in Europe and Dubai. (Getty Images)

According to the Dindoshi police, one of the victims, Keval Atul Gala, a resident of Malad, works with nine others at a private tour agency as a freelance tour manager. In April, one of Gala’s colleagues, Viraj Bhatada, told him that he had been hired to manage a Europe tour.

Police said that Bhatada told Gala about the accused, Viral Ashwin Thakkar, who had offered him the work opportunity. Gala approached the accused for work, and Thakkar promised to find employment for him and his colleagues. The accused then, over a series of transactions, took ₹7.28 lakh from each of them under the pretext of booking flight tickets.

The police said that the accused called Gala and the other victims on May 7 to the visa office in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) but did not show up. The police added that the accused claimed that new rules had been implemented for visa insurance and took another ₹8 lakh per person saying that they would not get their visas until they had deposited the amount.

Gala grew suspicious and along with the rest of the victims, cancelled the tour and began demanding the money back. The police said that Thakkar did not return the money, instead, when Gala filed a complaint and the Dindoshi police booked Thakkar in May for fraud and embezzlement, he fled the city.

A police officer said, “After a search operation, Thakkar, who had been absconding for one and a half months, was arrested.” The police added that when they interrogated him he confessed to defrauding the tour managers. He was produced before the Borivali court and remanded to police custody for four days.